Abbott backs Sinodinos as ‘man of integrity’

Tony Abbott
says there is no cloud whatsoever over NSW Senator
Arthur Sinodinos
and that he, like everybody else, had to wait his turn to be promoted to cabinet.

Senator Sinodinos, who was chief of staff to
John Howard
for a decade, was widely expected to be promoted straight into cabinet when Mr Abbott announced his ministry. Instead, he received a lesser promotion from the ranks of parliamentary secretary to the outer ministry as the Assistant Treasurer. His responsibilities will include Financial Services.

Some senior Coalition sources claimed Senator Sinodinos had been left out of cabinet due to a possible corruption inquiry that might be called into a company of which he was once a director.

Senator Sinodinos, who has always maintained no wrongdoing, is understood to be furious at such claims and Mr Abbott backed him unreservedly on Monday.

“I want to scotch any suggestion that there’s a cloud over Arthur Sinodinos. There is not,’’ Mr Abbott said.

“I wouldn’t be appointing Arthur to the incoming ministry if I thought there was any cloud over him.’’ He said Senator Sinodinos was “a man of distinction, a man of integrity’’.

“I expect him to be an outstanding member of the new government.’’

Mr Abbott said his “measured, calm" approach towards appointing his ministry meant all newcomers had to serve their time before being given the top jobs, Senator Sinodinos included.

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To underscore this, it was later noted that former cabinet minister
Mal Brough
, who lost his seat in 2007 and won again in September, was not even given a parliamentary secretary role.

Senator Sinodinos entered politics in November 2011. He had been expected to enter cabinet as Finance Minister but that was given instead to former shadow assistant treasurer,
Mathias Cormann
.

In February, The Australian Financial Review reported Senator Sinodinos abandoned a claim to a 5 per cent shareholding, worth up to $3.75 million, in infrastructure company Australian Water Holdings when the company was linked to a corrupt former NSW Labor minister,
Eddie Obeid
.

Senator Sinodinos resigned as a director in November 2011 when he entered the Senate and said later he was “astonished and angry" to learn of the Obeid links to AWH.

The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption is investigating AWH.